


6 Minutes of Celebration Part Trois

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-07-10
Updated: 2008-07-10
Packaged: 2019-05-15 04:08:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14783318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Third installment in the 6 Minutes universe. This takes place a few years into the Santos administration.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: This is the final installment of the 6 Minutes universe. This is what happens when you swear you're not continuing on with a series, a whole other series pops up.  


* * *

PROLOGUE 

Sam and Josh sat in Josh’s living room with beers and a fire dancing in the fireplace. 

“You know,” Sam said to Josh looking at the frame above the fireplace. “In my life, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of looking at that.” 

“Matt thinks the Senator wrote it out himself and stuck it in the frame.” Josh said nodding to Senator Kennedy’s gift three years earlier. They were referring to the first four pages of Profiles and Courage handwritten by John F. Kennedy when he wrote the draft of the book. 

“Well, I’ve studied documents written by JFK,” Sam replied. “And I can tell you, that’s that man’s handwriting.” 

“You can identify JFK’s handwriting?” Josh asked arching a brow in Sam’s direction. “You’re into some really weird stuff.” 

Sam shrugged as the two men saw Donna enter the room. 

“She’s ready for you, baby.” she said to Josh. 

“Ready?” Sam asked. 

“Ella.” Donna said. “I get her ready for bed and read to her, and Josh goes up and sings to her when I’m done.” 

“You SING to her?” Sam smiled to Josh. In a thousand years, Sam would never have thought of Josh Lyman, the President’s Pitbull, and now President Santos’s Chief of Staff, would SING his three year old daughter to sleep.” 

“Every night.” Josh nodded standing up. 

“She wants Uncle Sam to sing to her, too.” Donna said suppressing the giggling bubbling up. 

“Let’s go, Sam.” Josh said standing up. 

“Me!?” Sam cried. “You want me and YOU to sing to her?” 

“That’s what she said.” Donna shrugged. 

“Sam,” Josh said, “my daughter wants her daddy and Uncle Sam to sing to her before she goes to bed, then my daughter GETS her daddy and Uncle Sam singing to her before she goes to bed.” 

Sam looked up at his friend. Josh was 100 percent determined. The last time Sam saw that face on his friend was when he came out to California to ask Sam to be his deputy. It wasn’t a question; it was just how it was going to be. 

“Well, try to stay on key then.” Sam said standing up. 

“Stay on key?” Josh retorted. “I’m a baratone; try to keep up.” 

Josh and Sam walked out of the living room, leaving Donna behind. She watched them walk through the foyer and up the large, open, sweeping staircase and upstairs. She moved to the archway of the living room and listened for the two men to enter Ella’s room. When she heard the door squeak open, she crept up the stairs. Every time she walked up this staircase, she always wondered if JFK and Jackie had that same problem with the squeaky step, third from the top. She specifically waited for Josh and Sam to disappear into the room, because that squeaky step would give her away as soon as she got to the top of the flight. But, she was in the clear now. 

She crept down the hall, and stood just outside the door to her daughter’s room. The door was cracked just enough for her to peek in. 

Sam followed Josh into Ella’s room unsure of what exactly happened next. Donna had just read Ella the stories she liked read to her before she fell asleep and now it was song time. Josh sat on the side of Ella’s bed and Sam took up position in the gliding rocking chair next to Ella’s bed. 

“So, what’s next?” Sam asked expectantly to Josh. 

Josh shrugged and looked back to his daughter. “She’s the boss.” 

“Twinkle Twinkle!”Ella demanded. 

“As in Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?” Sam asked Josh. Josh looked at his friend as if he sprouted another head. 

“You know another song with two Twinkles in the title?” He asked appalled. “What the hell are you listening to these days?” 

“I was just making sure.” 

“Yes.” Josh confirmed for his deputy. “She wants Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” 

“Okay.” 

Sam and Josh launched into a harmonized version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Donna leaned up against the wall in the hallway, clutching her glass of wine to her chest in laughter. 

When Twinkle Twinkle Little Star was finished, the ABCs were demanded next. Josh and Sam happily obliged the sleepy, but entertained little girl. 

“Wheels on the Bus, Daddy!” Ella shrieked. “Wheel on the Bus!” 

“This one I remember!” Sam exclaimed triumphantly. 

After a verse of the wheels, wipers, mommies, babies, and daddies on the bus, Ella was not to be dissuaded. “Daddy!” she cried. “The daddies get OFF the bus!” 

Josh looked over at Sam, who looked thoroughly confused. Getting OFF the bus? He couldn’t remember anything about anybody getting OFF the bus. The bus just kept going! 

“Okay.” Josh nodded over to Sam. “They all do the same thing getting off the bus as they did getting on the bus.” 

“Okay.” Sam replied. “I think I can handle that.” 

Donna now slid down the wall in the hallway and sat up against the wall on the floor, laughing so hard, and clutching her hand to her face. She was afraid if she made so much as a peep, they’d hear her and stop. 

So, the daddies, the mommies, and babies all got off the bus. 

“The wipers, Daddy!” Ella demanded next. “The wipers get off the bus!” 

“Okay.” Josh said to Sam. “The wipers get off the bus and go swish, swish, swish.” 

“Wait a second.” Sam stopped. “If the wipers get off the bus, they don’t swish, they’re broken. So, it should be ‘the wipers get off the bus and they’re broken, broken, broken.” 

“Okay, whatever.” Josh agreed with a shrug. “I guess you’re right.” 

Donna, hand still clamped over her mouth listened to the next verse. “The wipers get off the bus and they’re broken, broken, broken; broken, broken, broken; broken, broken, broken; the wipers get off the bus and they’re broken, broken, broken; all through the town!” 

Donna couldn’t handle it anymore. She fell to her side on the floor in hysterics. And that’s how Sam and Josh found her moments later. 

“Well, THIS is going to be all over the White House tomorrow.” Josh said, leaning up against the wall in the hallway. 

“Just make sure you tell them, Donna, that I was the one that was in key.” Sam said down to Donna’s shaking form. 

“I was in key!” Josh exclaimed indignantly. 

“What?!” Sam shrieked in return. “The whole Wheels on the Bus I thought I was singing with a dying duck!” 

“A dying duck!” Josh argued. “I’ll have you know, I have a resonant baratone.” 

“Oh, is THAT what that was?” Sam laughed. “I’ll have you know that I was president of the glee club and that was...” 

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence!” Josh ordered. “President of the glee club and recording secretary of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society? Quit while you’re...well, not as far behind, my friend.” 

“Donna!” they both chorused together, looking for Donna to take one of their sides. Donna, however, was having a hard time pushing herself off the floor. The soundtrack of the last five minutes continuing to play over and over in her head. Oh, where was CJ, Helen, or Ginger when she needed them! 

“Oh, that’s just great, Baby.” Josh said with a roll of his eyes. “Is there a tape recorder hidden in this hall somewhere?” 

Donna sat up and shook her head, laughing so hard, she couldn’t make a sound. Finally, she was able to catch her breath. 

“I was just thinking of what the secret service must think right now!” she squealed falling to the floor again. 

“The secret service!” Sam squealed. 

“Yeah, Sam.” Josh nodded. “There’s an agent in that room right there.” Josh pointed to a room a door away and Sam’s eyes widened in horror. 

“How is it that I can still forget they’re around!” he groaned. 

“Well, that’s the whole point of them.” Josh reminded. 

“If my codename goes from Princeton to Twinkle, you, Josh Lyman, are a dead man.” 

TBC


	2. 6 Minutes of Celebration Part Trois

“Got a moment for the old ball and chain?” Donna smiled from the doorway to Josh’s office. He looked up and smiled at her. 

“No, but I’ve got all the time in the world for my ravishingly gorgeous wife.” he smiled back. Donna smiled brightly as she walked into the office and crossed to his desk. 

“Ravishingly gorgeous, huh?” she asked. “After seven years, and a baby?” 

He pulled her across his lap and dropped an open mouthed kiss on her neck. “It’s a fact that I find you more beautiful than the day we met.” 

“Really?” she asked a little surprised. 

“Sure.” he nodded. “That day, which I know is coming up, by the way...” 

“That you’ll completely ignore.” she interjected. 

“Just because I don’t make a big deal about it, doesn’t mean I don’t think about the day my life changed forever.” he replied. “People rarely forget the most important day of their lives.” She smiled down at him, as he continued. “Anyway, that day I saw you, I thought you were hot as hell.” 

“I’m not hot today?” she pouted. 

“I told you, you’re beautiful. You’re my Madonna.” 

“You have to work late.” she nodded. 

“Yes.” he sighed. The gig was up. “But everything I said is absolute fact. And I wasn’t saying it to soften the blow. We’ve got a thing going on downstairs.” 

Donna nodded in understanding. Translation: Something’s going on in the sit room. 

“All right, but you can’t avoid me forever.” Donna said to him. 

“Baby, I couldn’t avoid you if I tried.” Josh said. “Why do you think I’m avoiding you?” 

“I think you’re putting off a conversation you don’t want to have.” 

“Which is?” 

“The re-election campaign has officially kicked off.” Donna prompted. “You and I were supposed to have a discussion about your place in the administration in a second term.” 

“Ah. That conversation.” Josh said. 

“Yes, that one.” Donna said. 

“I’m not avoiding it; it just slipped my mind.” 

He looked up at her, and she knew he was telling the truth. What she couldn’t do was tell what he thought of the subject. At his last cardiologist, his doctor told him his stress levels were high and his blood pressure was through the roof. Since Donna had him at the gym three mornings a week, cut his caffeine intake and had him eating as healthy as she could get him to, the only logical caveat there was his job. He knew she was afraid of him succumbing to the same fate as Leo, and he had promised her to do whatever he needed to to do his best to ensure that wouldn’t happen. So now he needed to make a decision. 

He looked up at her and took in a deep breath. He often found himself needing more oxygen when he looked at her. They’d been together forever and it never felt old or tired. He was certainly comfortable in his life, but he never felt like the magic was gone. He never felt like things might be more exciting if he chose a different life. She was so much a part of him now, he often couldn’t see where she stopped and he began. She coursed through his veins and there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her. 

Including this. 

He knew she wanted to talk to him about staying on if they won the election. He never promised the President a second term, and chief of staffs rarely stayed as long as Leo did. The last thing he wanted to do with his life was leave her a single mother with a young child, albeit a wealthy one. He knew he couldn’t face life without her and he knew she felt the same way. He just wasn’t sure he’d be able to actually do it without her out and out asking him. 

“Well it’s coming.” she said standing up. “And don’t forget Jessie’s wedding is this weekend.” 

“Yes.” 

“There’s something I have to tell you about her fiancé.” Donna hedged. 

“Brian Anderson.” Josh announced pulling a file from the corner of his desk. “26 years old, accountant, passed the CPA exam on his first try, graduate of the University of Wisconsin, volunteer fireman.” 

“You had him vetted?” Donna asked incredulously. 

“Well, first of all, he’s marrying Jessie, so I wanted to make sure she didn’t get a dud.” he replied. “Also, the White House Chief of Staff is going to a wedding in Wisconsin with about 200 guests. There was a certain amount of leg work the secret service was doing anyway.” 

“Well, there’s still something I have to tell you.” 

“Something that’s NOT in Mike’s FBI file here?” Josh countered. “I highly doubt it.” 

“Yeah.” She retorted crossing her arms over her chest and arching a brow. “That file tells you that Brian is Dr. Freeride’s younger brother?” 

Donna smirked as Josh’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding!” 

“I’m not.” 

“She’s been with this guy for like a year.” he stated. 

“Well, I didn’t know that he was that Brian Anderson until a few weeks ago when my mom told me.” Donna replied. 

“He’s going to be there?” 

“He’s the best man.” 

“Oh. My. Lord!” Josh smiled sitting back in his chair. 

“Keep in mind, Joshua, I haven’t seen this man in 12 years.” Donna replied. “Water under the bridge and all that.” 

“I just want to meet him.” Josh replied. 

“You’ll be well behaved?” she asked. 

“Baby, I can be as obnoxious as I want.” Josh replied. “I’m going with four guys packing heat.” 

“Joshua.” Donna warned. 

“Yes, baby.” he sighed. “I will be well behaved. I just want to meet the stupidest man on the planet. It’s always been a dream of mine.” She gave him a radiant smile and he pushed himself out of his chair to stand in front of her. With a quick glance to make sure the doors were all closed still, he pulled her to him and kissed her. 

She never got tired of kissing him. She’d discovered long ago that her husband had many different kisses, and she’d be damned if she could predict which one she’d be on the receiving end of. There was a passionate kiss when he wanted to seduce; the appropriate in public kiss; the kiss he gave her when they were laughing; the kiss when they were celebrating something; a kiss of possessiveness; the kiss he gave her when they were making up from an argument; the kiss he was giving her when he was comforting her; the goodnight kiss; the kiss he gave her when they were watching Ella experience a milestone; the kiss he gave her when they were reunited after one of them taking a trip for work; and the kiss he was giving her now. The kiss he gave her when he just wanted to tell her without words how much he loved her. This was her favorite kiss. 

“Josh.” she sighed against his lips. 

“Mmm?” 

“White House.” she reminded smiling. 

“What about it?” 

“We’re in it.” 

“Damn.” he huffed pulling away. “I have a couch and everything.” 

“I know, baby.” she smiled sympathetically. “But do you really want to get caught in the act by the President?” 

He sighed dramatically and pulled away. “See, I can’t even finish this later because I’m going to be here late.” he grumbled. 

“I’ll wait up for you.”she promised and he smiled. He knew she’d try, but he was going to be late and she’d probably fall asleep waiting for him. 

She stood up on her toes and kissed his forehead before leaving his office. He stood there for a minute and smiled looking at the empty space she’d just occupied. He was a lucky man, he thought. He had a wife who adored him and he adored in return. She’d given him a beautiful daughter. And he was currently standing exactly 32 steps away from the most powerful man in the world. 

He took a minute to look around his office. He had wanted to put it back to the Leo had it, but Donna wouldn’t let him. She told him that he was a different Chief of Staff for a different President and he couldn’t fall back on what he thought Leo would do, despite CJ’s parting advice to him. Donna was always wiser than her years. Despite the hard time he’d consistently given her since the day they met, she was by far the wisest, smartest woman he’d ever known. Within a month of their meeting, she had proven to him that a diploma meant nothing and there was literally no knowledge she couldn’t absorb. If there was something she wanted to know more about, she simply did the research and learned about it. She was a formidable force in the East Wing. She and Helen had pursued a very aggressive agenda their first term. They had gotten off to a slow start as Helen learned her new position in the world and Donna’s confidence grew. But it wasn’t long before Congressmen and Senators were actively pursuing their support. 

Of course, having Matt Skinner, Chris Wick, and Andrea Wyatt on your side certainly helped. Chris wasn’t as aggressive in congress as Matt and Andi were. But he was well liked in his district, and the First Lady’s numbers in his district were through the roof, and as Chris was not a stupid man, he often jumped on the First Lady’s bandwagon. Of course, Chris’s wife, Ginger, was one of Donna’s best friends and worked with Josh and Donna for years. So, if there was something on the First Lady’s agenda that Ginger believed in, it was a guarantee her husband would support it. Matt’s support was sometimes hard to come by because he was a republican, but when they did agree on issues, he was vocal on them. 

Donna and Helen Santos were also close friends. They operated much the same as Josh and Donna did when they worked together, and Josh couldn’t help but think it was Donna’s influence with everyone. She approached everything they did the same way she approached the things he and she had worked on. As a team. And no one was bigger than the team. Donna and Helen often got together socially. His wife had mentioned on more than one occasion that Helen wished the two of them could just go out to a bar like normal friends. Unfortunately, there was no where in the world they could do that. 

And Helen’s image was something else all together. Helen told Donna she didn’t want to be a frumpy First Lady always seen in suits and ball gowns. When Helen went to the kids’ soccer games, she looked hip, fresh, and like someone any woman wanted to befriend. She often set the trend with women her age and was often compared to a modern day Jackie Kennedy, which never ceased to amaze Josh given the house he and Donna lived in, which had also appeared as a side bar a few times in articles printed about Helen. Helen was a frequent guest on Oprah, Ellen DeGeneres, The Tonight Show, and The View. She was everything a First Lady should be; admired and beloved. Even when the President’s numbers were less than ideal, Helen’s approval rating stood steadfast. 

He looked around his office and wondered if he’d miss the job when she asked him to leave. He also wondered if he’d want her to leave her job. Her job was a lot more conducive to having a family. She’d never let on whether or not she’d stay on if they were elected to a second term. Her job was nowhere near as stressful as his was. But all the same, he wondered how he’d feel about her getting up and going to work every day in the White House while he didn’t. He’d like to think he’d be supportive of her. But, he also tended to think if he left his job for her, she’d do the same. 

His assistant popped her head in and told her Nancy McNally was ready for him in the Sit Room. He sighed, grabbed his jacket and headed out of his office. 

TBC


	3. 6 Minutes of Celebration Part Trois

“What?” Ginger asked Donna as Donna stood in front of Ginger’s bedroom mirror and sized up the dress she was trying on. 

“What?” Donna asked. 

“Donna, you’ve been staring at yourself in that mirror for five minutes now. The dress looks great. It’s not going to suddenly change color or something.” Ginger pointed out. 

“Yeah.” she sighed. 

“I can’t believe you’re raiding my closet. It’s usually the other way around.” Ginger smiled. “I find it hard to believe that YOU don’t own something appropriate for a wedding.” 

“It’s just...” Donna began and trailed off. She was going to continue when Ginger’s husband Chris entered the room. 

“Ah, Donna!” he smiled. “What did Josh do now?” 

“What makes you think he did anything?” Donna asked. 

“Donna, at the risk of getting slapped by both you and my wife in a second, you look like sex on a stick in that dress.” Ginger rolled her eyes and Donna giggled. Chris could always be counted on to say something outrageously flirtatious and complimentary to her. “So, when I see you in a dress like that, I have to wonder why you’re looking to drive Josh mad.” 

“I’m not.” Donna replied. “It’s for a wedding.” 

“Who’s wedding?” Chris frowned. 

“Her cousin in Wisconsin.” Ginger supplied. 

“You’re going through all this trouble over a wedding in Wisconsin?” Chris asked. Donna shrugged and looked back at her reflection. “Who’s going to be there?” 

“No one.” Donna mumbled. 

“Doesn’t sound like no one.” Chris prodded. “You looking to impress someone other than your husband?” 

“No.” 

“Donna?” Chris asked again. “What’s up with this?” He gestured at her in the dress and looked at her expectantly. 

Donna sighed and turned to face her friends. “You know that person in your past that just stomped on your heart and self-worth and stripped you of every shred of confidence you ever had?” 

“Yeah.” Chris and Ginger chorused. 

“He’s going to be there.” she sighed. 

“Freeride?” Chris asked. 

“Does Josh tell EVERYONE that?” Donna demanded. 

“Well, you told me.” Ginger reminded. 

“Yeah, but I didn’t tell him.” Donna said poking a thumb in Chris’s direction. 

“Well no, Josh did.” Chris confessed. “He doesn’t have much respect for that guy.” 

“He’s never even met him.” Donna shot back. 

“Donna, you just said the guy stomped on your heart and self-worth and stripped you of every shred of confidence you ever had.” Chris countered. “Josh met you right after that happened. Josh, who has been in love with you since, like, the moment he met you. The guy can discover the cure for cancer and Josh wouldn’t like him.” He paused for a second before continuing. “Then there’s your obvious hatred of Amy Gardner.” 

“Amy manipulated Josh for her own political agenda. She didn’t care about him. She cared about what his title could offer her!” Donna retorted. 

“Yeah. Freeride is Josh’s Amy.” Chris supplied. Donna took a second to absorb that. She hated when Josh’s friends made his point without him being here. She huffed when she saw his point. 

“Okay. Well, be that as it may. He’s going to be there.” Donna said turning back to her reflection and eyeing up the midnight blue, satin slip gown critically. 

“And you want to show him what he gave up?” Chris sighed. Donna and Ginger nodded. “Donna, you’re the Chief of Staff to the First Lady of the United States. The social circle you’ve traveled in for the last ten years has been far more impressive and elite than any he’s traveled in, I promise you that. The people you hang around with, influence the world. And you’re beautiful. Trust me, the man knows what he gave up. You can show up to that wedding in burlap and I promise two things are going to happen: one, Josh will be all over you anyway; and two, the good doctor will be vying for your attention.” 

“I don’t want him to vie for my attention.” Donna said. “And Josh knows he’s going to be there, so he was going to be all over me anyway.” 

“Josh is going to be all over you because he loves you and he’s all over you anywhere you guys are and you know it.” Chris countered. “Josh doesn’t need to drape himself all over you to get at this guy. He’ll just send one of his agents to tail him and spook him all night.” 

Donna rolled her eyes and looked over at Ginger. “You look great in the dress.” Ginger assured her. 

Donna studied herself in the mirror again. She had no idea why she was getting so worked up about it, she really didn’t. Yes, Scott was going to be there. The man that crushed her self-confidence and her heart. But she was also walking into the wedding with the man that built it all back up again and then some, who was walking in flanked by four secret service agents. If that didn’t scream importance, she didn’t know what did. She thought she was also doing it to remind herself how she changed the course of her life, all on her own. The girl who left Dr. Scott Anderson behind in that ER, and left behind the future of being a doctor’s wife, and part of Madison society and all that, was not the person who was staring back at her now. 

She had Josh to thank for that. He gave her a chance, and then a second chance. He believed in her every step of the way. He’d been her teacher, her friend, her mentor, her cheerleader, her lover, her other half. And suddenly, she just wanted to be with him, and he wasn’t going to be home. He was stuck at the White House tonight. She moved into the connecting bathroom and changed back into her clothes. At least once a week, he was stuck there late. Of course she understood, but ever since she found out what his cardiologist said, she looked upon that building like a death sentence, reaching out it’s claws, ready to grab Josh at any second. It’s gotten him once before, and she convinced herself it’d get him again if she didn’t get him out of there. 

She bid goodnight to Ginger and Chris. When she pulled away from their townhouse, she started to drive home, but before she knew it, she was pulling back into her spot at the White House. She saw Josh was still here. It was late. Josh’s mother, Anna, would have had Ella in bed hours ago. She moved quickly through the corridors towards his office. Without so much as a knock, she burst right through his door, stopping dead in her tracks when she saw the senior staff gathered. Everyone looked up at her in surprise. Especially Josh. 

“I’m sorry.” she said immediately putting her hand up and taking a step back. “I shouldn’t have barged in.” 

“What’s wrong?” Josh asked immediately getting up and crossing the office to her. She shook her head in a vain attempt to reassure him. “Are you all right?” he asked. She nodded her head in response. “Is Ella all right?” he continued. 

“Everyone’s fine.” she assured quickly. 

“What’s going on?” he asked. 

“I’m sorry I interrupted.” 

“You didn’t interrupt anything.” Sam assured quickly as Josh studied Donna curiously. “We were just discussing the finer points of Return of the Jedi.” 

“Return of the Jedi?” Donna asked. “Is that the one with the Firbies in it?” 

“They’re Ewoks, baby.” Josh sighed. 

“Oh wait, that’s the one where Princess Lea gets all chained up to that thing and is half-dressed.” Donna surmised. 

“Yup.” Otto smiled. “That’s the part we were on.” Donna noticed Lou roll her eyes. 

“You guys are a bunch of perverts, you know that? There’s a lady in the room.” Donna admonished. The men sheepishly glanced over in Lou’s direction. 

“Right.” said Sam. “We can continue this debate in the Roosevelt Room.” The rest of the senior staff followed Sam’s lead and filed quickly out of Josh’s office. Donna arched an expectant brow in Josh’s direction who was looking at her the same way. 

“Glad to see you’re hard at work.” she said. 

“We’re waiting.” he countered. “I’m doing exactly what I told you I’d be doing. What are YOU doing?” 

She shrugged and took a couple of steps away from him. 

“Donna?” he asked. “What the hell’s going on?” 

“Nothing.” she said sitting down on the couch. “I just missed you.” 

“Don’t do that.” he snapped. “That’s not fair.” She looked up at him surprised. She expected a different reaction. “You’re trying to make me feel guilty. I told you before I was going to be here late. This happens; you know that; you knew that when I took this job. This job I took at YOUR loving encouragement, I might add.” 

“You’re right.” she sighed standing back up and walking towards the door. “I’m sorry.” 

“Donna, wait.” Josh sighed frustration. What the hell was going on here? She stopped and turned around at the tone of his voice. “It’s 11:30 at night. What’s going on?” 

“I told you.” she said. 

“There’s still a year left of this term, Donna.” he reminded her quietly. “I didn’t promise the President a second term, but I promised him a first term. Any decision I make is going to be at the end of this one.” 

Her eyes snapped up to meet his at his words....a year left...any decision HE made. She was surprised when her first reaction to those words were, ‘we’ll just see about that,’ and she thanked whoever that the words didn’t slip from her mouth. He was annoyed at what he was interpreting as her handling him. His assistant popped her head in to tell him they were ready for him downstairs. They held each other gazes for another moment. 

“Go home, Donna.” he whispered to her before walking out of the room. 

Donna sat there for a moment trying to figure out what just happened there. The whole reason she came here was because she wanted to see him. She was thinking of everything he’d done for her over the years and everything he’d meant to her, and instead of saying that, she let something ugly happen. Why had she let him think that? Why hadn’t she told him he’d misinterpreted her meaning? She didn’t come here to pick a fight, yet she let him think she did. She stood up and took a long, shaky breath, before following his instructions and heading home. 

Josh wandered down to the situation room at a more leisurely pace than he normally moved through the building, especially when he was on his way downstairs. Like Donna, he was playing over the last few minutes in his head trying to figure out what that was. It wasn’t like Donna to drive over to the White House on the nights he was here late to pick a fight. She’d been pressuring him to make a decision about a second term. Quite frankly, he already had. She was worried about him and she didn’t want him to be a part of the second term, at least as Chief of Staff. And so he wasn’t going to be. So why didn’t he tell her that? Why didn’t he tell her that he wouldn’t stay on if the President won re-election? He sighed as the marine outside the door to the situation room opened it up for him. What the hell was going on with them? 

TBC


	4. 6 Minutes of Celebration Part Trois

It was 3 o’clock in the morning by the time Josh walked through the front door of their home. Instead of heading upstairs for bed, he moved towards the kitchen. He got about half way through the living room when he noticed Donna sleeping on the couch. He stopped and watched her for a moment, the light from the fireplace dancing off her. He looked at her thoughtfully and walked over to kneel down in front of her. She must have just fell asleep recently because he could tell that she’d been crying. 

He sighed and brushed the hair from her face. She stirred and opened her eyes. They were bright blue and watching him warily. His eyes roamed all over her face as she continued to study him quietly. 

“I’m sorry.” he said quietly. 

“For what?” 

“For whatever I have to be sorry for.” he replied. 

“Josh...” she said softly. But he shook his head at her. 

“I don’t want to be mad at you.” he said. “So, I’m sorry.” 

“It hasn’t occurred to you that I might be the one that has to apologize?” she asked. “I didn’t go there to pick a fight. I don’t know why I let you think I did.” 

“Doesn’t matter.” he said shaking his head. “I was edgy because I was tired and ticked off at still being there, and I jumped to conclusions instead of giving you the benefit of the doubt.” 

“We didn’t communicate again.” she sighed. 

“We’re communicating now.” he replied. 

“This is happening a lot.” she reminded. “We’re not communicating a lot.” 

“I asked you what was going on and you didn’t tell me.” Josh countered. “I asked you.” 

“So, it’s my fault.” she snapped. 

“Donna,” Josh replied with a sigh. “you just said to me that you thought you were the one that needed to apologize. How can you tell me that it’s you that should apologize, but not accept the blame?” 

“You’re right.” she replied. “I’m sorry.” 

“I don’t want to be that couple.” he said quietly after a moment. “I don’t want to be that couple that’s still together but can’t remember why.” 

“What are you saying?” she asked sitting up. 

“I’m saying I don’t want to turn into them.” he said sitting back a bit on his heels. “Our whole history is based on communicating, Donna. We’ve never had a problem with that, and we’ve never had a fear of pissing the other person off by saying what was on our mind. The last two weeks, it’s felt like that.” 

“I love you, Joshua.” she said through her tears and flung herself at him. He pulled her tightly to him. 

“I love you too, baby.” 

“Then don’t say stuff like that.” she chided. “You’re freaking me out.” 

“I can’t live without you, Donna.” he said. “And I mean that in every way that can be taken. If something happened to you, I’d go out of my mind. But if we lost each other because we can’t remember why it is that we love each other, it’ll have the same effect.” 

She laughed and pulled back to look at him. His hands immediately came up to wipe the tears running down her cheeks away. “So we’re afraid of the same thing.” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“You! This job! The stress! You promised to put your family first.” 

“And I’ve always done that.” he bit back. 

“The cardiologist told you your stress levels were too high. You walked out of his office and back to work.” Donna countered. “That was putting your family first?” 

“I’m not done there yet.” he said quietly. 

“You’re never going to be done there.” she replied. “There’s always going to be something that keeps you.” 

He stood up and looked down at her tear stained face. It was true. There were things he wanted to see completed before the end of the term. If that was going to be it for him, there was stuff he wanted to get finished first. If she really wanted him to quit, she was going to have to out and out ask him, and she wasn’t doing that. She was coming to the brink and then pulling back. He never questioned her love for him, not once. But these past two weeks, something was wrong. They weren’t connecting. They were just bumping into each other. He wasn’t unhappy, but there was something missing. He loved her as much as he always had, and needed her as much as he always did. Whatever it was, it was just beyond his reach and he was desperate. If something happened to her or them, he’d never recover. He felt her holding back from him. Something was going on and she was lashing out at him. He refused to believe it was his job. 

“Please help me understand.” he begged softly. “What am I missing, Donna?” 

“Me.” she said so softly he almost missed it. 

“Where have you been?” he replied. “Two weeks now I’ve been wondering where the hell you went. You don’t want me to go into a second term, fine. But you’re the one who told me I could have one term, and now you’re freaking out. I do everything you ask me to. I haven’t had a real cup of coffee in months; I exercise; I eat exactly the way you tell me; with the exception of tonight, I get sleep. You want me to go into the Oval Office tomorrow and give my notice? Done. But it’s not going to change anything. These are the cards I got dealt. What do you want?” 

She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. When she didn’t answer immediately, he turned and walked off into the kitchen. 

“I’ve only ever wanted you.” she said softly to the empty room. 

******************************** 

“Donnatella!” Matt Skinner greeted. Donna turned around in the Starbucks she was in and smiled as she saw him rising out of a table in the corner. She looked to the table’s other occupant and saw that he was sitting with Mike Casper. She walked over to the table and Matt drew a chair out for her. 

Both Mike and Matt kissed her on the cheek before she sat down. 

“So,” said Matt. “getting the hell out of Dodge for a few days, huh?” 

“Yeah. How’d you know?” Donna smiled. 

“Josh.” Matt replied. 

“Of course.” she replied. 

“It’ll be nice to get away, huh?” Matt continued. 

“Yeah, if he doesn’t drop me on my ass while we’re out there.” Donna muttered. Mike shifted uncomfortably in his seat and Matt sighed. 

“Donna, you’ve got to get your head out of your ass.” Matt announced. Donna’s eyes widened in surprise. 

“What?” Mike said coming to Donna’s defense. “What makes you think any of this is her fault?” 

“Any of this?” Donna repeated. “Any of what?” Mike had the good sense to look embarrassed, but Matt didn’t seem to care that Donna now knew that Josh had mentioned to his friends the trouble they’ve been having. 

“It’s no big surprise what’s going on here.” Matt replied. 

“Oh really, Dr. Phil?” Donna snapped. “By all means, enlighten me as to what’s causing my marital problems.” 

“You.” 

Donna huffed and moved to rise out of her chair, but Mike put a firm hand over hers. “You’re about to prove his point.” he said softly. She settled back down and threw an icy glare over to Matt. 

“You’re stressing over this freeloading ex-boyfriend being there.” Matt said blatantly. Donna’s jaw dropped in surprise. “Chris told me you were there the other night freaking out that he was going to be there and you were wigging out over how Josh was going to be and how you were going to look. You want to be pissed at Josh when you go to that wedding.” 

She was ready to deny it, but she realized he had a point. Her mother had told her two weeks ago that Brian was Scott’s younger brother, and Josh had told her that their problems have been going on for about two weeks now. But he’d also gone to see the cardiologist two weeks ago. She wondered if she began to misdirect her fears at seeing Scott again towards Josh. 

“Why would I want to be pissed at Josh? Josh is everything Scott’s not.” 

“Is he really? Or did you just always make him out to be that way?” Matt countered. 

“All right.” Mike said jumping into the fray. “Let’s go back to our corners for a second and take a breather.” 

“Did you guys say all this stuff to Josh?” Donna demanded. 

“Yeah because every man reacts well to finding out his wife is stressing over another man.” Mike replied dryly. “No, we didn’t. We all like our heads to remain firmly on our shoulders.” 

“Donna, you met Josh at a vulnerable time in your life.” Matt continued. “He picked you up off the dirt. It only makes sense --” 

“Don’t you dare!” Donna hissed holding up her hand to cut him off. “Don’t you dare question how much I love my husband or why. Don’t you make me sound like some hero worshiping teenager with a crush. I love Josh because he’s amazing; and I’ve always seen things in him that no one else has bothered to look at. I owe him everything.” She ended softly. 

“You owe him?” Matt repeated. “Donna, you don’t owe him anything. Neither of you owes the other anything. I mean, are you in love here, or are you repaying a debt?” 

“Shit.” Mike sighed dropping his head into his hand. 

That was more than Donna could take. She picked up her coffee cup, rose out of her chair and silently walked out of Starbucks. 

“Well, that went well.” Matt quipped once she was out of the coffee shop. 

“Are you insane?” Mike asked him. “What the hell possessed you to say any of that?” 

“They can’t figure out what’s wrong and it’s right in front of them.” Matt replied. “Thank YOU for leaving me out there all alone.” 

“Josh is going to flay you alive if she tells him what you said.” Mike said shaking his head. 

“I’m not real worried about her telling Josh any of that.” Matt replied. “How exactly do you think that conversation’s going to go?” 

Mike shook his head at his old friend. For his sake, he hoped Matt was right. Donna looked like he’d punched her in the stomach. And now she was going back to the White House, where she was sure to see Josh. 

TBC


	5. 6 Minutes of Celebration Part Trois

Donna rushed through the corridors of the White House wiping her cheeks and frantically avoiding meeting anyone’s eyes. That is until she heard her husband’s voice. 

“Hey, baby!” he greeted behind her. 

She stopped and turned around to face him. When he saw her face, his eyes grew real wide and he pulled her into the empty Map Room next to them, closing the door. 

“What happened?” he asked. She clutched at him like he was going to disappear and cried into his shoulder. For his part, Josh was totally confused, but he was used to it lately. He was used to her snapping his head off one minute and then breaking down the next. She squeezed him tighter as she realized she couldn’t possibly tell him what Matt had said. But this was their problem then. “Baby, please let me help you.” he pleaded softly stroking her hair. “I don’t know what’s going on. You’re having this little nutty, and you’re not letting me in, and it’s killing me slowly over here.” She pulled back and looked at him. He smoothed her hair back with his palms and studied her. Her eyes were puffy and blood shot, her nose was read, and she looked awful. God, how long had she been like this? She nodded to him. She was going to tell him. “Kay. Go back to your office and be ready to leave in half an hour. We’re going home.” 

“Home!?” she smiled half-heartedly. “Josh, we’re leaving for Wisconsin tomorrow. We can’t leave here in half an hour; it’s 10:30 in the morning.” 

“Donna, unless the United States itself gets bombed, I’m walking out of this building in half an hour.” Josh assured. “I have a deputy; he’s very capable. This is me putting us first. You’re going to tell me you can’t go?” 

“No.” she smiled. 

“Good. Go blow off your day. I’ll be over in half an hour.” He kissed her on the forehead and walked out of the Map Room. Donna smiled after him, then looked around the room and laughed. She couldn’t remember ever stepping foot in this room before today. She doubted Josh even knew it existed, but he’d just hijacked it because it was the first private place he found. She smiled and left to farm out the rest of her day. 

**************************

Josh and Donna walked through the front door of their house and Josh stopped. “It’s quiet here at 11:30 on a Thursday.” he noted stopping in the foyer. 

“Your mother takes Ella to the library now for story hour, then she goes to Kindermusic.” Donna reminded him. “They’ll be gone for a few hours yet.” 

“Really?” Josh asked raising his eyebrows as Donna disappeared to the kitchen. This had potential. They were rarely here alone. He loved his daughter and mother, but they often made impromptu sex in the kitchen difficult. Donna re-emerged with a bottle of wine and two glasses. 

“Who are you looking to get drunk? Me or you?” he smirked as she threw him a seductive smile and headed upstairs. Potential nothing! This now had blatant promises! 

“Whoever needs to be.” she replied. He followed along behind her. As soon as they were over the threshold of their bedroom door, he pulled her to him and kissed her soundly. She melted against him and the tension slowly began to ebb from her body. 

“I thought you wanted to help me.” she replied. 

“This isn’t doing that?” 

“Oh, it is.” she smiled. 

“You’re right.” he said abruptly pulling away. “Pop open the wine and spill your guts.” 

“You should have been a shrink.” she deadpanned handing him the glasses. “My estrogen is probably going to get all over you.” 

“Probably.” he agreed as he held the glasses out and she poured a healthy portion in each one. “But your estrogen has been getting all over me for the past 12 years, so I’m used to it now. Won’t do me any good to start getting skittish around it now.” His eyes widened as she nearly filled the glasses. Damn. She was nervous right now. 

She paused at his comment. It was purely banter, but he was right. For 12 years, he never batted an eye when she cried all over him. He simply held her and made it better. He always knew what to say to her, he always knew how to hold her, he always knew what she needed. He told Chris once that he was horrible at women, but he was good at her, and he is. He really is. She didn’t realize she was staring at him until he spoke. 

“You’re afraid to talk to me about something.” he surmised eyeing the amount of alcohol in his glass. 

“A little.” she confessed. “I don’t think you’re going to react well.” 

“Well, I can’t guarantee you a favorable reaction, not knowing what it is.” He said. “But I’m reasonably sure over here that there’s nothing you can say that’s going to make me not love you.” 

“There might be something.” she murmured and his eyes widened. He was getting concerned now. 

“Donna, what’s going on?” he asked sounding more desperate than he’d intended. 

“I’m nervous about Jessie’s wedding.” she blurted. He paused for a second, then furrowed his brow. He didn’t really know what he was expecting, but that wasn’t it. 

“What?” he asked. “You’ve been freaking out like this over Jessie’s wedding for two wee --” he cut himself off when he caught her sheepish expression. “Oh.” he said as the pieces fell into place. “I see.” He backed away and started to slowly pace the room. He didn’t want to speak before he fully processed what she said. This could easily turn ugly, and he didn’t want that. “You’re nervous about seeing him again.” 

“Yes.” 

“Why?” 

“I have no idea.” she said shaking her head slowly. She sat down on the edge of the bed and watched him pace the room. 

“Wondering what could have been?” 

“NO!” she said emphatically. “I’m not, I swear.” 

“Have you ever spoken to him again?” Josh asked hesitantly. “After that night in the ER when you broke up with him, did you ever speak to him or see him again?” 

“Yes.” she said quietly. “He was a visiting surgeon at GW. He was there the night you were shot, but since he wasn’t on staff, he wasn’t allowed on either one of the procedures. But he’d seen me because he tracked me down, and found me in your room in the ICU. He was really nice to me. He explained everything they did to you and everything I could expect in your recovery. He even told me about how to identify signs of post-traumatic stress disorder.” 

“What else did he say?” 

“He apologize for how we ended it. Or how he ended it the first time.” 

“Did he ever ask you to marry him, Donna?” he asked not meeting her eyes. 

“Yes.” she whispered. 

“When?” 

“After I went back.” 

“Did you say yes?” 

“No.” 

His eyes snapped up to hers. He’d just assumed that when she said he’d asked, she said yes and she broke it all off that night. 

“He asked you to marry him and you told him no?” he asked. 

“I wasn’t going to marry someone I didn’t love, Josh.” she said with a nervous laugh. 

“If you didn’t love him, why did you go back to him?” 

“I didn’t know I didn’t love him until I went back to him.” she replied. “You were right the day we met. He did break up with me. He thought I was clingy and suffocating. But when I left, he changed his mind and begged me to come back. I was 23, and I thought I was in love.” 

“You said yourself that this was 12 years ago and it was water under the bridge.” 

“It is.” 

“So what the hell is this?” he demanded. She shrugged and dropped her gaze, but she knew he continued to study her. “You said you’re nervous about seeing him.” She nodded in reply. “Why?” 

“You already asked me that.” she said softly. 

“You said you didn’t know.” he said. 

“Yes.” 

“Except you do know.” 

He watched her for a minute as she regrouped. She wasn’t the girl he met that day. In some ways she was, in the way she responded to him, her smile, her sense of humor. 

“After I settled in Washington, I started seeing a therapist for a little while.” she said. He didn’t find that too shocking. He’d seen one for years. “She told me I was too dependent on men. She said I talked about you a lot. I stopped seeing her.” 

“Donna, you dated a lot of guys in between him and me.” Josh reminded. “It was four years between the night you came back to the campaign and the night we got together.” 

“I know I did.” she nodded. “And I told her that you couldn’t have been my rebound guy because nothing had been going on.” 

Except it was, he thought. Sparks flew with them right from the start. They had hit it off from day one, and she stayed with him after he got shot. She stayed in the hospital and at his apartment. They had a couple of strange moments, but nothing had ever happened between them until the night he broke up with Amy. That was the first night they’d ever laid a finger on each other. Before that it was just... 

Oh, dear lord. 

Before that, it was just her taking care of him and him letting her. She took over his life, and he didn’t care because she made everything easier. She had come to the campaign to find her confidence, and instead, she found him. They were the very definition of dysfunctional. 

No. This was real. They were real. They had a connection. 

Didn’t they? 

She freaked out last night when she thought he was saying they might be headed for a break up; something he absolutely didn’t believe and wouldn’t stand for. But now it sounded like she was unsure. It sounded like she was questioning their relationship and unsure about whether or not she still had feelings for this guy. They’d met at an emotionally vulnerable time in her life, and this guy had come back into the picture at another emotionally vulnerable time in her life. She told him that the night he got shot was the night she realized she was in love with him. He’s laying there unconscious and that guy walks through the door? 

“Baby,” he said quickly moving before her at the bed. “tell me you know I love you.” 

She smiled at him and stroked his cheek. “Of course I know you love me.” she said softly. 

“Tell me why.” 

“I’m sorry?” she asked shaking her head. “Tell you why you love me?” 

“Why is it that you think I love you?” 

“You love me because I know you. I understand you.” she began. “You love me because I take care of you and know what you need.” No, no, no, he thought closing his eyes and dropping his head. She can’t think that. She can’t! 

“I love you because we have fun together, Donna.” he said. “I love you because you always see the good in me; because you inspire me; and make me want to be a better person, and make me see the good in people.” 

“I know, Josh.” she said quietly. “I don’t love you because you need me to keep you organized. I don’t love you because you need me to remind you when it’s your mother’s birthday. I don’t love you because you needed someone to make sense of your desk. I don’t love you because if your clothes matched when you went on t.v. it was because of me. I don’t love you because you need me. I love you because you believe in me.” 

“I do.” he said softly raising himself up and pushing her gently down to the bed. “I do believe in you; I always have. I love you because you’re amazing, and beautiful, and you know what I’m thinking.” He straddled over her now and looked down into her eyes. They were less hindered than they’d been the last couple of weeks. Relieving the burden helped. “You’re not the person you were 12 years ago, Donna; you’re not the person who sat by my hospital bed and took care of me all summer. You did find your confidence. Maybe you didn’t find it when you thought you did, but you are far more sure of yourself than you’ve ever been. You’ve grown as a person; as a woman; as my friend; as my wife. You change everyday, and I’m just glad you’ve let me be a part of it. All I did was give you a job, baby, you did the rest.” 

She reached up to touch his face and pulled him down to her. When their lips connected she tasted him and the saltiness of tears. She wasn’t really sure whose they were at this point. He took the lead and instead of the foreplay being anxious and desperate like she thought it would be after a conversation like that, it was tender. They were reconnecting and rediscovering. 

Slowly they shed their clothes, piece by piece. After he removed a piece of her clothing, he kissed every inch of skin it exposed. The need in her was mounting to explosive levels, but he would not be rushed. She smiled as she was reminded of the first time they’d made love and how she knew he was claiming her and reclaiming her now, reminding her of everything he did to her, everything he could make her feel. 

His hands and his lips were everywhere, inside, outside. She had tried to reciprocate his love, but he wouldn’t let her. Clearly, this was all about her. He slowly moved her to the head of the bed and laid her against the pillows there. The early afternoon sunlight streamed through the window and shrouded her in light as he slowly slipped into her. 

“God, there’s nothing more sweet in the world.” he whispered against her ear and she choked back a sob. He stayed there a moment as he got himself in check. His mind was exploding, and he slowly rolled them over, painfully careful to not break their fragile reconnection. She sat straight up, and he raised his arms to her. She linked her fingers with his and propped herself forward to support herself on his strong hands. As she began to move, she began to cry. The moment she felt her orgasm building, she let go of her his hands and fell forward. He caught her to his chest and held her tight as the wave of love and light moved through her. It started at her core, then seeped into her blood and flowed throughout her body, taking all the ache away. He kissed her softy and the aftershocks tingled their way to the end of her limbs. 

She knew without a shred of doubt why she chose him 12 years ago. And it was him that she chose that night in the ER of UW Hospital, not the job, not the life, not the campaign. Him. He would teach her and give her room to grow, and then he would love her. 

He pulled the comforter over them to ward off the winter chill and she snuggled against his chest. “Joshua,” she sighed as she listened to his heart rate slow down. 

“How long do we have?” he asked softly kissing her forehead. 

“To the end of time.” she answered sleepily. 

“That’s going to come upon us quickly when our daughter comes busting into the room.” he chuckled. 

“Oh. 2:30 then.” she smiled. He looked over at the clock. Two hours. Two hours of no interruptions, no stress, no outside influences. Two hours of holding his love in his arms. Their connection was back. They’d won. They’d beat the odds yet again. He’d won her again and he’d keep fighting. He’d always fight to stay with her. 

TBC


	6. 6 Minutes of Celebration Part Trois

“Ah! Shit! Stop tickling me, baby!” Josh shrieked as he squirmed under the covers to get away from Donna’s fingers. 

“I thought you liked when I put my hands on you.” she whispered seductively. 

“Oh, I do.” he assured. “But I like the other touching better.” He reached over for the wine bottle next to bed and found it empty. “We drank that whole bottle of wine?” 

“Yeah.” she smiled as she pushed the comforter back and started kissing her way around his pecs. 

“I could get us another bottle.” he suggested with a groan. 

“You want to get drunk in the middle of the afternoon?” she smiled. 

“When’s the last time we did that?” he countered. 

“Hawaii.” 

“It’s 2:30 on a Thursday afternoon.” Josh noted. “We’re naked and half drunk. Let’s just get shitfaced.” 

“Our daughter’s going to be coming home.” Donna reminded. “You don’t think that’s outrageously irresponsible?” 

“My mother will be here.” Josh said shaking his head and rolling out of bed. “I’m going to go downstairs and get more wine. When I come back, we’re having more sex.” 

“Okay.” she smiled up at him. “That sounds like a good plan.” He took in her mussed appearance and leaned down to kiss her one more time before leaving the room. It wasn’t until the phone rang a few minutes later that she realized he gone downstairs without a stitch of clothing on. 

She picked up the house line next to the bed on the first ring. 

“Hello?” 

“Baby, it’s me.” came a whisper through the phone. 

“Josh?” she asked confused. 

“Who else calls you baby?” he demanded. 

“Where the hell are you?” 

“I’m in the kitchen.” 

“Why are you calling me from the kitchen?” 

“The misson’s been compromised.” He whispered harshly. 

“The mission?” she asked confused. 

“The wine!” 

“Is there none left?” She wasn’t sure what was going on here. She knew that they had a bunch. 

“No, there’s plenty, but I’m stuck.” 

“How are you even calling me right now?” she asked. 

“Your cellphone.” 

“Why are you calling from my cellphone?” 

“Mine’s up there in my pants.” 

“Why are you calling me at all? Just get up here.” 

“Can’t.” 

“Josh,” she sighed frustrated. “What the hell is going on?” 

“I told you. The mission’s been compromised.” he said emphatically as she began to think he got called to the Situation Room too much. “My mother and Ella came home. They’re in the living room watching Wiggles and I’m stuck in here.” 

“You’re stuck in the kitchen?” 

“Naked.” 

Donna slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her squeal of laughter. What the hell possessed him to go down there naked anyway? 

“Maybe you could stop laughing at me right now, baby, and help me figure out a way out of this.” he said dryly. 

“I’m sorry, baby.” Donna laughed. “I can’t help it. Why don’t you just yell out to your mother to take Ella up to her room or the den?” 

“Because Ella’s going to wig out when she finds out I’m here.” Josh responded. This was true, Donna thought. “Plus, I’ll have to tell my mother why I need her and Ella to make themselves scarce, and SHE’LL be relentless.” Also true, Donna thought. 

“So, Mr. Fix It, what do you suggest I do?” Donna smiled. “Do you want me to bring clothes down to you?” 

“No. That’s not going to work.” he sighed like all hope was lost. “My mother will still know what’s going on. I’ll stick my head out the back door and you can drop me clothes down over the balcony.” 

“Joshua!” 

“What?” he replied innocently. “I’m still naked in the kitchen here, Donna.” he continued. “I don’t have a lot of time to screw around. My mom could come in here any minute to get Ella juice or something. Are you going to help me or not?” 

“Of course I’m going to help you.” she said getting out of bed. She moved over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of loose fitting cotton pants and a tight v-neck t-shirt for herself, then moved over to his dresser for a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. “I don’t know about the balcony idea though, baby.” She said. “We have neighbors. Anyone could be looking out the window right now. Not to mention the secret service is going to think we’re nuts.” 

“It’s 2:30 on a Thursday afternoon. None of our neighbors are home.” he retorted quietly. “And the secret service already thinks we’re nuts.” 

“Speaking of nuts, baby.” Donna smiled as she moved across the room to the doors that lead out to their balcony. “You do remember it’s January, right? It’s cold outside. Aren’t you worried about what that’s going to do to the rest of plan?” 

“Baby, I’m just thinking about how I can not be naked in the kitchen with my daughter and mother 15 feet away at the moment.” 

“Fine. I’m at the balcony.” she informed. “Do you want me to drop them down, or are you going to poke your head out the door?” 

“Was that one of your little quips?” he demanded. 

“No, Josh.” she sighed. “I’m asking if you are going to try and catch the clothes. You can’t just run out into the back yard naked.” 

He sighed dramatically as he thought about how best to handle this. What was more mortifying? The neighbors seeing him naked or his mother possibly seeing him naked? Well, if his mother sees him naked, she’s just going to hoard it over him for the rest of her life. She’s not going to call Hard Copy. He quietly crept across the kitchen and to the back door. At least the kitchen table and chairs might shield him from the living room door. 

“Okay.” he said leaning out the back door. “Drop the pants down first.” 

Donna peered giggling over the balcony when she saw his hand sticking out, she took aim and dropped the jeans, which he caught in his hands. He quickly donned his pants and then appeared down in the back yard. Laughing, she tossed his t-shirt over the ledge to him. He pulled it over his head and smiled up at her. 

“Are we going to perform Romeo and Juliet now?” he smiled. 

“Why are we still on the phone?” she asked back rolling her eyes. 

“I don’t know.” he smiled snapping her phone shut and looking up at her. 

“Go get the wine.” she smiled. 

He blew a kiss up to her and ran back inside. Closing the door behind him, he turned, shivering, to walk over to the wine rack, but stopped dead when he saw his mother standing by the counter with a sippy cup thoroughly amused. 

“Mom!” he shrieked with a jolt of surprise. 

“I figured it was safe to come in now.” 

“You knew what was going on?” he groaned. 

“I heard you on the phone just as I was about to push the door open.” she smirked. “Dare I ask who’s running the country now?” 

“Sam.” he said grabbing another bottle of wine and the corkscrew. “Pretend we’re not here.” 

“You left Sam in charge of the country? I’ll have no problem pretending you’re not here. I’m taking Ella and going on a hunt for a bunker.” 

Donna’s cell phone in his hand rang and he saw the house line pop up on the caller i.d. He chuckled as he realized Donna was calling him back. 

“We got busted.” he said by way of greeting. 

“Yeah, get your ass up here.” she ordered. 

“Awfully frisky this afternoon.” he smiled moving quickly through the kitchen and the living room, Ella was absorbed in a coloring book and never saw him breeze by. 

“No. I’m freezing my ass off. I got locked out on the balcony.” 

TBC


	7. 6 Minutes of Celebration Part Trois

Josh and Donna walked through the hotel lobby hand-in-hand en route to the ballroom for the wedding reception, Josh’s entourage keeping their usual perimeter. Right before they reached the ballroom, Josh’s cell phone rang. He rolled his eyes and walked a few feet down the corridor to answer it. Donna leaned up against the wall and waited for him. 

She stiffened as she saw Scott turn the corner and head toward the ballroom. She thought back to the wedding ceremony earlier and her initial reaction to seeing him standing in the front of the church. She was shocked at how much he’d aged since he last saw her. Of course, it was ten years ago in Josh’s hospital room, and why she thought he wouldn’t change over the course of ten years, she couldn’t figure out. But she was surprised nonetheless at the graying hair and the bit of weight he’d gained. Not too much weight, but enough that she’d noticed. 

He caught sight of her and smiled, walking toward her instead of the ballroom. He stopped a few feet away from her and she stood up straight. 

“I thought I saw you in the church.” he smiled at her. 

“Yup, it was me.” Donna confirmed. She was also surprised to discover that she didn’t have any feelings for the man at all; nothing good, nothing bad...just nothing. 

“Look at that, our two families found a way to tie the knot anyway.” he smiled easily. She arched a brow. Initially she thought he was getting a dig in at how she’d turned down his marriage proposal, but he looked like it was mostly sincere. She let a small smile slip as she noticed one of Josh’s agents come and stand against the opposite wall as her. Donna looked down the hall towards Josh, who was still on the phone and looking at her pointedly. 

“Who’s this?” Scott asked gesturing to the agent. 

“Special Agent Walker, United States Treasury.” Donna answered in a resigned tone. 

“United States Treasury?” Scott asked confused. “Your husband holding cabinet meetings while he’s here?” 

“The secret service falls under the treasury department.” Donna explained. 

“Ah, secret service.” Scott said nodding. “He’s standing there waiting to kill me?” 

“No.” Donna laughed. “Well, not unless you try to kill Josh.” 

“Ah, well he is the man that stole you away from me.” Scott replied casually. “But it hasn’t exactly spawned a jealous rage. I think he’s safe from me. Besides, my wife might have a thing or two to say about that.” 

“Your wife?” 

“You didn’t think I was going to be pining the loss of our relationship forever, did you?” 

“No. I just hadn’t heard you got married. Congratulations.” 

“And to you.” he smiled. “For...God, I don’t even know where to begin...marriage, baby, fantastic job.” 

“It’s been quite an experience.” Donna agreed. 

“And he’s looking well.” Scott noted with a nod toward Josh. 

“He’s doing well. Well, his blood pressure is through the roof...” she had no idea why she just said that to him. 

“Well, I would imagine he’s got a pretty stressful job.” Scott said. 

“To say nothing of the bypass surgery he had ten years ago.” Donna reminded growing a little agitated. 

“If that was going to affect much a decade down the road, Donna, it would have been his brain more than his heart.” Scott waved off. “And since I imagine you don’t tend to rise to the position of Chief of Staff to the President of the United States by not possessing your full brain function, I assume he’s doing okay, though I’m sure the republican party would probably disagree.” 

“He’s the same brilliant man he’s always been.” Donna confirmed. 

“Good.” Scott said quietly. He looked past her to where Josh was ending the call. “Well, I guess I better get inside. I’m sure I’m needed for pictures. Maybe the secret service will let me dance with you later.” He disappeared into the ballroom before Josh made it to her side. 

“Well, he took off awfully quick.” Josh noted putting his arm around his wife. She looked over at him and seemed to look upon him with new eyes. She kissed him on the cheek and smiled at him. 

“People tend to get a little nervous in the presence of the secret service, Joshua.” 

“Oh, don’t act like you’re surprised, baby.” he admonished. “I was just having some fun. Besides, it’s not like Agent Walker actually DID anything.” 

“You’re impossible sometimes.” she sighed. “He wanted a dance later.” 

“Mmm...not so much.” 

“Josh,” she warned. “There is absolutely no need for you to get jealous.” 

“Baby, I don’t let you dance with anybody.” Josh reminded. “In the past seven years, have danced with any man that wasn’t me or the current leader of the free world? Or you know, one of my incredibly close friends?” 

Donna thought back for a minute and smiled. He was right. “You take possessiveness to a new level, you know that?” 

“You love it.” 

“No, I love you.” Donna countered as he took her hand and began to lead her towards the ballroom. “Therefore, I put up with the rest.” 

*************************

Josh smiled as he headed across the ballroom back to his table where Donna was with her family. He was tied up for a an hour on the phone with Sam and Lou. That was the second time this evening that he had to divert his attention from his wife for something he didn’t deem worthy enough, and he was unhappy about it, to say the least. But now, as he came closer to the table, he could see that Donna had made good use of the time. Even from about 20 feet away, he could tell she was drunk. She and her sister-in-law, Jenny, were falling all over each other as they laughed and talked. Donna’s brother, Bobby, was seated to the other side of Jenny looking amused, and Donna’s parents were across the table shaking their heads. His in-laws looked relieved as they saw him approach. 

“I leave her in your hands for a little while, and THIS is how you give her back to me?” he laughed. 

“I don’t know where we went wrong with that one.” Robert Moss joked gesturing to Donna. 

“What are you talking about, Daddy?” Donna frowned. “Who are you even talking to?” 

“Did you not hear your husband just speak?” Donna’s mother, Joanna, says dryly pointing to her son-in-law. Donna furrowed her brow and dropped her head back, looking at her husband upside down. 

“Hey Baby!” she shrieked. “Want a drink?” 

“I could use one.” Josh confessed. 

“Okay. Let’s go to the bar. Jenny and I were just going to make another bar run.” Donna said. She stood up and immediately fell forward into her husband’s waiting arms. 

Josh steadied her and looked down. “Baby, where are your shoes?” 

“Oh, I had to take them off.” Donna explained, then leaned in to unsuccessfully whisper, “they were making it really hard for me to walk straight.” 

“I don’t think it’s the shoes that were giving you a problem, baby.” Josh laughed. He wrapped a steadying arm around her waist and turned her in the direction of the bar, where he was going to get her a rather large glass of water, and a rather large scotch for himself. 

“Don’t go without me!” Jenny ordered. She tried to rise, but her foot got tangled in the legs of the chair and she fell back into her husband’s lap. 

“Donnatella and Jennifer, originally, I was rather annoyed that you opted not to bring my grandchildren on this trip, but now I’m quite glad you didn’t. They’re not here to witness this shocking behavior.”Joanna joked. 

“This is not shocking behavior, mother.” Donna said shaking her head. “You want shocking behavior, let me tell you about the other day when Josh got stuck in the kitchen --” Josh quickly clamped his hand over his wife’s mouth. 

“Naked.” Joanna finished nodding. “I know. I spoke with Anna last night.” 

“First of all, it’s scary that you two talk so much; secondly...I mean, did she really need to tell you that?” Josh practically whined. 

“Well, we thought it was funny.” Joanna shrugged. 

“You know, on second thought, I think I’m just going to stay right here.” Jenny announced crawling over to lay across hers and Donna’s empty chairs. “Yeah, this is a good idea.” Bobby rolled his eyes at his drunk wife and stood up to join Josh and Donna. 

“I think I’ll go with you two.” he said. 

The trio started to walk across the ballroom, as Josh kept Donna from stumbling and held her up straight. 

“You know, baby,” she said in her best conspiratory tone of voice. “All the women here are talking about you.” 

“Really?” 

“Oh, yeah.” Donna nodded as she grabbed tightly to his arm. “They’re all talking about how hot and powerful you are.” 

“They are not.” 

“No, they really are.” Donna nodded. “They talk about what a turn on it must be that you travel with all these guys with guns. Ask Jessie. I was helping her pee when we heard it.” 

“You were helping Jessie pee?” Josh asked raising his eyebrows. 

“What are the logistics of that?” Bobby asked. 

“It’s no easy thing to pee in a wedding dress.” Donna said authoritatively. “They’re all poofy and shit.” 

“How would you know what it’s like to pee in a wedding dress?” her brother countered. “You two eloped.” 

“Yeah, but I’m also a professional bridesmaid.” Donna shot back. “I’ve helped many brides pee.” 

“That’s an impressive skill for a resume, little sister. Is that what makes you such a great Chief of Staff?” Bobby joked as they stopped at the bar line where a good number of guests were waiting. 

“Hey, I can help with ballgowns, too.” Donna shot back. “When the First Lady has to pee --” 

“Do NOT finish that sentence, Donnatella.” Josh ordered as more than a few curious heads turned their way. 

“What?” Donna asked innocently. “I’m the one in charge of her image.” 

“You’re not going to ruin it at a wedding.” Josh replied. 

“Oh, I’m not going to ruin it.” Donna waved dropping into a chair of the nearest table. “She’s got a great image. Watch.” Donna waved to the nearby female guests. “Isn’t the First Lady hip? Doesn’t, like, every woman here just want to raid her closet?” The women smiled and emphatically agreed. 

“Where does she shop?” one woman asked. 

“See?” Donna said triumphantly to her husband, who rolled his eyes in response. 

“We do a lot of shopping on line.” Donna answered. “Sometimes designers come to us though. If it’s for a formal event, they always come to the White House. Dressing rooms freak out the secret service.” Donna announced motioning to the nearby agents. 

“Well, she looks great.” the woman complimented. 

“See that.” Donna said to her husband. “And I bet no here is operating under the misconception that she never has to --” 

Bobby reached over and clamped his hand over his sister’s mouth before she could finish. 

“We’ve taught you well.” Josh thanked his brother-in-law. 

“Not really.” Bobby shrugged. “I’m just getting tired of listening to her. She and my wife are annoying the shit out of me at this point.” 

Donna smacked her brother’s hand away from her mouth indignantly, then for good measure, smacked upside the back of his head. 

“Ow! Shit!” he yelped. 

“Yeah. It’s tough to see that one coming.” Josh said sympathetically. “I use to miss it a lot myself.” 

TBC


	8. 6 Minutes of Celebration Part Trois

“Baby, wake up.” Josh said softly poking Donna in the shoulder. A long, unhappy moan came from somewhere beneath the mass of golden hair and blankets. Josh grinned widely. It seemed his wife was a bit hung over this morning. He leaned over and dropped a kiss on her shoulder. “Donna.” he coaxed again. 

“What could you possibly want, Joshua?” she groaned again. 

“Well, I come bearing water and aspirin for one.” he announced. 

“Oh, I love you.” she said gratefully slowing rolling over reaching out for the water and pills. 

“I know.” Josh smiled. “This is just one of the many services I provide for you.” 

“Don’t make me try and be witty.” Donna retorted. “There’s a marching band in my head right now, and I believe it’s the percussion section passing by now.” 

“Kay.” he agreed faster than Donna would have thought he would. She was expecting torture. She got pretty drunk at the reception last night. In fact, she passed out in the car and the agents pulled over just in time for her to throw up out the door on the side of the road and thankfully not in the expensive government funded Suburban. After that little embarrassing bout on the side of the road, she passed right out. She noted that she was in a tank top and pajama pants, so Josh must have also gotten her changed and into bed when they got back to her parents’ house. 

“There’s also Gatorade in the refrigerator downstairs. You should rehydrate, too.” he advised. “I’ll go out and get some bagels, if you want, when I get back.” 

“Get back? Where are you going?” she frowned. 

“For a run.” 

“Alone? It’s like 20 degrees outside.” 

“No. I’ll have the secret service and nice warm Suburban with me, should I wish to avail myself of its usage. Besides, you don’t the guys getting fat do you? They’re used to exercising everyday.” 

“They’ve had two days off from exercising. I don’t think they’re muscles are turning to fat that quickly.” Donna said. 

“I’ll be back in about an hour. Jason’s already mapped out a route.” Josh assured referring to one of the agents. “It’s all on these back country roads running through the heartland. Want to come?” 

“Don’t be funny.” she said burrowing back under the covers. He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her forehead. “I’ll be back in a little while.” he said softly. “Then I’ll spend the rest of the day taking care of my poor sick wife.” 

“That’s right. I’m very sick.” she pouted. “No hangover jokes.” 

“I promise.” he smiled giving her a soft kiss on the lips, and then winced. “Do something about that breath while I’m gone.” Her response was a huff and pulling the blanket over her head. 

A little over an hour later, she was rudely awakened by her brother frantically shaking her, causing her to be extremely nauseous. “Donna!” he shouted into her ear. 

“What?!” she demanded with a groan, rolling over. 

“The secret service just called. They took Josh to UW. He had chest pains and shortness of breath during his run. They think he’s having a heart attack.” Bobby said quickly, yanking the covers back. “Glad you’re not naked under there.” he said before moving to her suitcase and throwing her clothes. 

She sat up abruptly as his words sunk in. “Heart attack?!” she shrieked jumping out of bed. Her heart was racing a mile a minute and now her head was spinning, too. This was her worst nightmare. This was exactly what she’s been afraid of for ten years. She knew it would happen! She just knew it! 

“Quick! Get dressed.” Her brother ordered. “I’ll drive you down there.” 

******************************

Donna and her brother made it to the hospital in record time. Of course it helped that they broke many traffic laws and several land speed records. Donna burst through the doors of the ER and quickly scanned the room. She saw Josh’s secret service agents off to the left and without a word to the nurses at the nurses’ station, rushed over to them. One of the agents immediately pulled the privacy curtain back for her. When she went into the exam room, two more agents were in there, along with a doctor and nurse. Josh was lying in bed hooked up to a few different machines, as well as oxygen. When he saw her, he held out his hand to her and she rushed past the nurse to his side. 

“Are you all right?” she demanded through her tears. “How do you feel?” 

“Better now that I’m drugged up.” He smiled as she buried her head in his shoulder. “What about you? You look a little green still.” 

“Stop.” she ordered. 

“We were at a wedding last night.” Josh smirked to the doctor. “She did a bit of drinking.” The doctor returned the smirked and Donna gasped in outrage. 

“Don’t make jokes now.” she ordered. “No joking.” 

“Kay.” 

“What’s going on?” Donna said turning her gaze to the doctor. “Did he have a heart attack?” 

“I don’t think so.” the doctor said confidently. “We won’t know for sure until the blood work comes back. Though Mr. Lyman experienced chest pains and difficulty breathing, which are the major signs of a heart attack, I don’t believe that that’s what we have here. We’ll know more when the blood work comes back. Either way, I want to admit him.” 

Donna threw a quick glance down at Josh before rising off the bed to face the doctor. She gestured to the agent behind her. “I’m sure by now, doctor, you know that my husband is the President’s Chief of Staff. Agent Fox is the head of my husband’s secret service detail.” she explained to the doctor. “He’s going to need to talk to the president of the hospital, as well as unit head of the unit he’ll be admitted to, and maybe some other people. They’re going to have procedures that are going to need to be followed. I’m sure they’ll be bringing in more agents.” 

“I don’t know what the hospital policies are in a case --” the doctor began. 

“No, you don’t understand, doctor.” Donna said shaking her head. “Again, he’s the Chief of Staff to the President of the United States. Agent Fox will put security procedures in place that he’ll inform the hospital president of. I know it’s a Sunday, but he’ll need to speak with them right away.” 

“Marsha,” the doctor said turning to the nurse “go find the ED manager and have them set this in motion for Agent Fox.” The nurse nodded and left the exam room. “We’ll start making those calls and I’ll be back as soon as I have the results of the blood work.” The doctor nodded to the room’s occupants and left. Once the doctor and nurse were gone, the two secret service agents likewise left the exam room. Donna looked down at Josh, who she was amused to see was looking back up at her wide eyed. 

“What?” she asked innocently. 

“What the hell was all that?” he asked gesturing to where the doctor was standing. 

“All what?” 

“That whole little security bit you just did.” 

“That’s the procedure.” she said. 

“Yeah, but Danny there could have said all that to him.” 

“I did it for him.” she shrugged. 

“How’d you even know all that?” 

“You’re not serious, are you?” she asked arching a brow at him. “Danny and I had a long conversation when your detail started about their procedures and how I wanted things to work at home, among other things.” 

“Are you kidding me?” he asked amazed. 

“How could you think there’d be an area of your life of this much importance and I’d be in the dark about it?” she retorted. 

“You’re right.” he said dropping the subject when he noticed that she was trembling. He realized that may have been her establishing some sort of control in a situation where she had none. He pulled her back down to sit on the bed next to him. “I’m getting pretty tired.” he said with a yawn. “They’ve got me on a bunch of stuff. Will you stay here with me?” 

“Of course.” she said. He shifted over and she settled in next to him. She kissed him on the forehead and he rested his head on her shoulder. “I’m really scared right now.” she confessed softly. 

“I know you are.” he said. “The doctor said it’s not a heart attack.” 

“I know. But this is what I’ve been talking about. This is what I’m afraid of.” 

“I know it is.” he said squeezing her hand and yawning again. She fell quiet and he drifted off to sleep. She laid there with him for more than an hour, her thumb lightly stroking his hand that was linked with hers. He didn’t seem too sick, but she was extremely worried about nonetheless. She was going to have a lot of phone calls to make after they spoke with the doctor again. If he was going to be admitted, they’d be here longer, Anna would need to stay with Ella, they’d have to talk with Sam...between the two of them, the list was endless. The secret service she was sure would probably already have called Treasury to put their procedures into motion, which probably meant by now the White House was alerted that something was up with them. She probably should call with a heads up, but she wanted to wait until she had more information. 

Her attention was claimed by the agents re-entering the room with the doctor. 

“I can come back when he’s awake.” the doctor said. 

“No, it’s fine.” Donna assured. “We have a lot of people to call, so the sooner I can get on that, the better off we’ll be. CNN’s going to be asking questions soon.” 

“Well, the hospital wouldn’t discuss it’s patients with the media.” the doctor assured. 

“No, but you have other patients here.” Donna replied. “They’ll be noticing the secret service. I’m sure they have already. If the hospital doesn’t want a circus out front, I’ll need to call the White House as soon as possible.” 

“Okay.” the doctor nodded. “Well, as I thought, it wasn’t a heart attack.” 

“Oh, thank God.” Donna said with a big sigh of relief. 

“It’s what’s called pericarditis. It’s an inflammation of the pericardium, which is the muscle sac that surrounds the heart.” the doctor explained. “It presents the same way as a heart attack and is initially treated the same way.” 

“What causes something like that?” she asked. “Stress?” 

“No.” the doctor said. “Many different things. But, in this case, your husband’s blood pressure medication, so we’ll be starting him on something different for that. I’m going to admit him and start an anti-biotic regimen to fight the infection, as well as some pain killers. It’s going to be strong stuff, so you can expect him to sleep a lot. You can expect him to be here for at least five days.” 

“Oh he’ll just love that.” Donna said rolling her eyes. 

“The president of the hospital is on her way here to speak with the secret service. Once those arrangements have been made, we’ll move him to a permanent room. For the moment, the secret service has asked that we keep him here.” 

Donna glanced over at Agent Fox in silent question. 

“We have to secure the floor first.” Agent Fox explained to her. “We’re in a smaller area here.” The doctor raised his eyebrows and then turned back to Donna. She noted how different things were here than back home. At GW, they wouldn’t have batted an eye at the secret service or anything they said. But here, the University of Wisconsin Medical Center, which was a large teaching hospital, probably never remotely considered a scenario where they would be taking direction from the secret service. 

“Is this a life-threatening condition, doctor?” she asked. 

“No, not normally.” the doctor said. “It’s an infection.” 

“Yeah, but his medical history...”Donna began. 

“It’s not related in any way.” the doctor replied and she nodded in return. “We’ll be back in in a little while.” Donna gently slipped off the bed and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and slipped into her coat. 

“Well,” she said to Agent Fox. “Time for me to go cause chaos in the White House.” He smiled at her and she disappeared behind the curtain. 

TBC


	9. 6 Minutes of Celebration Part Trois

Josh woke up just as his hospital room door quietly opened. The last person he expected to walk through the door was Dr. Scott Anderson, but there he was, scrubs and all. Without giving it any conscious thought, Josh’s hand settled on the top of Donna’s head and he began to lightly stroke her hair. She was sleeping with her head propped on her arms, leaning on the side of the bed. She didn’t look remotely comfortable, but she must have been exhausted. 

“Dr. Anderson.” Josh greeted. 

“Mr. Lyman.” 

“You can call me Josh.” 

“Scott then.” 

They nodded at each other and a strange silence fell over the room. Josh was suddenly happy he had gotten to wear his own clothes. Granted, he was in a Santos for President t-shirt and pajama pants, but at least he wasn’t in a buttless hospital gown. 

“Feeling better?” Scott asked. 

“Yeah.” Josh nodded. 

Scott glanced over at the secret service agent that had silently walked into the room behind him and took up position at the door. 

“Are they always like two feet away from you?” 

“When I walk out of my house or the White House they are.” Josh said. “He’s only in here right now because you are though.” 

“That must take a while to get used to, them always being around.” 

Josh shrugged. It really didn’t. He’d been around them so long, that when they were actually assigned to him, it didn’t take any adjusting at all really. The only thing he kept forgetting was that they were driving him around now and he had to stop looking for his car in a parking lot. 

“I’ve seen her do this before.” Scott said motioning to Donna. 

“Huh?” 

“Sleep like this at your hospital bedside.” 

“Oh yeah. You were there that night.” Josh said. 

“She told you that?” 

“Eventually.” 

“It was kind of surreal there; watching history in the making.” 

“You never get used to it.” Josh confessed. What the hell was going on here? He wondered. Why were they having this conversation, and why did it almost sound like Dr. Freeride there wanted to bond. Josh felt Donna stir at his side. She slowly picked up her head and looked at him, but with her back to Scott, didn’t notice he was there. 

“Hey.” she said. “Feeling better?” 

“Uh-huh.” he nodded. “You should go back to your parents’ for a little while, baby.” 

“No. You’re here, I’m here.” she said shaking her head with an unladylike yawn. 

“You should sleep horizontally.” Josh advised. 

“Stop hogging the bed then.” She smirked pushing him over and climbing up on the bed with him. She curled herself to his side, snuggled under the thin hospital blankets, closed her eyes and drifted back off to sleep. Josh sighed and looked back at Scott with a shrug. 

“She never used to listen to me either.” he laughed softly. Josh found that a little hard to believe, since Donna dropped out of college to support him at his request, but he kept quiet on the subject. That was Donna’s issue, and if she wasn’t going to pursue it, neither was he. 

“She listens to me.” He replied. “She just doesn’t do it when I’m in a hospital bed is all.” 

“Well, she was always a very determined woman when she had an idea in her head.” 

“Determined is one word for it.” Josh smirked. 

“She seems happy.” Scott said after a few quiet moments. 

“Yeah.” Josh said. He wasn’t really sure what to say to that. 

“She’s totally different now.” 

“She’s 12 years old now.” Josh reminded. “Of course she’s different.” 

“She travels in the company of very important people.” 

“She’s one of the reasons those people became important people.” 

“Oh, I thought that was you.” Scott said. Josh opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it again. He wondered if this guy had changed at all. He obviously wasn’t able to imagine that Donna could pull off some of the political coups she did in the last decade. He imagined that it was probably comments like that killed her confidence to begin with. She left a guy that didn’t believe in her, drove to the other side of the country and met him, who believed in her from the day he met her. 

“Well, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t good at what I did when I met her. But she made me ten times better.” Josh replied. “She was organized; she’s got a memory like nobody I’ve met before; she’s efficient; she cares about what she does; her research skills are unparalleled; she’s creative; she’s gutsy.” 

“What about ruthless? Don’t you have to be ruthless to a certain extent to survive in politics?” 

“Well, Donna was never ruthless.” Josh replied. “She’s far too compassionate to just out and out put the screws to someone just to win.” 

“Huh.”Scott said. “She’s was pretty ruthless with people the last time I saw her by your hospital bed.” 

“Well, I think I’ve always been the exception. She’ll get between me and basically anybody.” Josh said looking him in the eye. He looked back down at the sleeping form of his wife before adding, “I’d be lost without her.” He dropped a light kiss on her forehead before looking back over at Scott, who seemed to be looking at them thoughtfully. 

“Well,” Scott said moving towards the door. “I can see you’ve taken good care of her.” 

“She takes good care of me.” Josh countered. “I’m just thankful for each day she lets me hang around.” 

“Yeah.” said Scott. “Well, good luck to you both.” He disappeared through the door, and the agent followed him. 

Josh looked down at his wife. He was surprised that he had showed Dr. Freeride that side of him. There weren’t many people who saw him like that. Everyone in Washington knew he loved his wife; some knew a little more painfully than others, but he rarely, if ever, let his affection show around people who were adversaries. 

He brushed the hair away from her face and thought again how far she had come in the last 12 years. And it wasn’t just her who had changed so much. She had changed him, as well. He was no longer the driven machine he was when they met. Of course, it took a few years for that to set in. That change didn’t fully come until the birth of their daughter. 

He had gotten where he wanted to go in his career. There really was no where else for him to go except the Oval Office, and he had no desire to sit behind that desk. As driven as he was, he never wanted to run for office. He smiled. The journey had been far more important than the destination; professionally anyway. And this was it for him. No. His current condition was directly brought on by stress. Not directly anyway, at least as he saw it. It was an inflammation caused by his blood pressure medication. High blood pressure that was caused by, among other things, stress. 

When the secret service was racing him to the ER, he thought that was it. This was the moment Donna had dreaded. He was going to leave her alone with a three year old daughter. He was never going to get to see his daughter graduate school, see what she did with her life, walk her down the aisle at her wedding. Donna was going to turn into a lonely old woman. Because they never would get married again. This was it for them. Maybe there was someone out there he could love, but not someone he could love enough, and he knew she felt the same way. 

So this was it then. Time to explore his options; time to write his book; time to leave the grind behind. A few years ago, that thought would have sent his mind into a shut down. Today, as he held his wife tightly to him and thought of his daughter back home in Washington, it actually made him smile. 

TBC


	10. 6 Minutes of Celebration Part Trois

Josh and Donna walked up the sweeping staircase of their townhouse. As they got closer to the top, they heard the angry voices of Josh’s mother and their daughter engaged in battle. They gave each other questioning looks and headed down the hallway, stopping just inside Ella’s doorway. 

“Ella Joan, you’re taking your nap now and you’re going to act like a little lady.” Anna huffed. 

“No, Cramma.” Ella said mispronouncing Grandma as she was currently prone to do. “I playing now. I coloring my princesses.” 

“You can color when you get up. Little girls need naps, especially cranky ones.” Anna countered. 

“I don’t want a nap, Cramma. I not fweepy.” she said indignantly, stomping her foot. Anna was just about to respond, but Ella saw her parents in the doorway. “Mommy! Daddy!” she shrieked throwing herself at them. Josh caught her first and pulled her up into a tight hug. “I miss you, Daddy. Will you read to me tonight?” 

“I missed you, too, princess. Of course I’ll read to you tonight.” 

“Cramma said you didn’t feel good.” Ella said. “She said you were sick in your heart.” 

“I was.” he smiled getting a little choked up. “But as you can see, I’m much better now.” 

“And you, little girl, have to listen to Grandma and take your nap.” Donna said sternly. 

“No, Mommy.” Ella said emphatically. “I no listen to Cramma now. Daddy’s home. I color with Daddy.” 

“Ella Joan, it is nap time.” Donna said again. 

“Pweeze, Daddy.” Ella begged Josh. She took his face in her little hands and pleaded. “Pweeze will you color princesses with me.” 

Josh looked beseechingly over his daughter’s head at his wife and mother. They were both staring him down, but his resolve was quickly edging away. He really missed his daughter while they were in Wisconsin and was not prepared for the unexpected separation from her for an entire week. 

“Okay.” Josh relented. “But only for a couple minutes and then you have to take your nap.” 

“Okay Daddy!” she squealed joyously. Donna rolled her eyes at Josh’s caving, and Anna glared at her son. Josh set Ella back on her feet and she dragged him over to her coloring books and crayons on the floor. 

Donna and Anna went downstairs. They went into the kitchen where Donna began rifling through the cabinets in search of something to make for dinner that evening, making small talk with her mother-in-law about the wedding and how Josh was feeling. About half an hour later, Josh walked into the kitchen. 

“She’s asleep.” he announced. 

“I can’t believe you.” Donna admonished. 

“What?” he retorted. “I’ll get better, I swear.” 

“You’re the weak link, Joshua.” Donna continued. “You’re always the first to break team.” 

“Hey, back off!” he replied. “I didn’t break team. She’s sleeping. And I didn’t see her all week.” 

“I didn’t see her all week either, but I didn’t cave at the first sight of a pout.” Donna began putting jars on the counter, as Josh came up behind. He planted a hand on either side of her on the countertop, pinning her to her spot. 

“Past history shows that I have ALWAYS caved at the first sign of a pout.” he said against her cheek. “I can’t help. She takes after you, and it’s long been established that I’m powerless against you when you’re unhappy.” 

“Oh please.” Anna scoffed. “Try not to get naked in the kitchen again, Joshua.” 

“And I’ll thank you, Mother, for selling me out and telling that story to Carol.” Josh said turning his attention to his mother. “She said it right in the middle of the wedding reception. I was mortified.” 

“Oh you and your PR crap.” Anna replied. “Always worried about how something is going to reflect on the White House.” 

“Not anymore.” Josh replied quietly. 

Anna regarded her son curiously. “Not anymore what?” 

“Worrying about how something is going to reflect on the White House is going to be someone else’s job now.” He elaborated. “You are finally getting your wish.” 

“The wish of grandchildren, plural?” she asked. 

“Your other wish.” he rolled his eyes at his impossible mother and her constant quest to be surrounded by many little versions of he and Donna. 

“You’re leaving the White House?” she asked quietly. “Donna, is this true?” 

“Have I ever lied to you before?” Josh demanded. 

“Only when you were lying to yourself at the same time.” 

“What!?” he shrieked. Anna looked pointedly at him, and Josh assumed she was referring to before he admitted his feelings for Donna. “Be whatever that is as it may, I’m resigning.” 

“When?” 

“Immediately.” 

“When are you leaving?” 

“As soon as I can get Sam comfortable.” 

“And what are you going to do?” she asked. His mother’s interrogation skills never left Josh without the feeling that she must have one taken pointers from Mike Casper. If there was one lesson he’d learned in his life, it was never underestimate a curios mother. 

“I don’t really know, mom.” he admitted. “Nothing for a while, stay home with my daughter and be a dad.” 

“YOU’RE going to be Mr. Mom?” his mother asked incredulously. 

“I’m fully competent to take care of my daughter, I do it all the time.” he replied indignantly. 

“Except she walks all over you.” his mother pointed out. 

“Is she or is she not taking a nap?” Josh countered. “Just because she did it a half an hour later, doesn’t mean I’m soft on nap time. She hadn’t seen us in a week. I don’t think it was an unreasonable request on her part that she get to color with her dad for a few minutes, whom, she had been told, I might remind you, wasn’t home when he was supposed to be because he was sick in his heart.” 

“I didn’t know how else to explain it.” 

“You did just fine.” Josh assured. “All I’m saying is that she was told we weren’t home because I was sick, and she couldn’t see me. Some sort of crime against schedules wasn’t committed.” 

Donna pursed her lips and bowed her head, trying not to smile. From the moment they’d found out Donna was pregnant with Ella, right through to the present, Josh had always been completely involved with their daughter, hands on, always knew what was going on, everything a mother asked for in her partner and child’s father, and he didn’t tend to take it lightly when he thought someone was suggesting otherwise, whether he had misinterpreted the conversation or not. 

“You’re going to have to be more steadfast if you’re going to be home with her, Joshua.” Anna replied. 

“You’re not going to move away now or something, are you, mom?” Josh asked. “You’re not going to get some nutty notion in your head that we don’t need you or something?” 

“Move away from the only family I have left, and the only grandchild I have?” Anna countered. “Not likely, Joshua.” Josh smiled at his mother and Donna’s heart lightened. He’d told her on the flight back when they were discussing all the smaller details of him leaving the White House that he was afraid his mother would desert them. 

“Donna, what are you going to be doing while Joshua pursues a life of leisure?” Anna asked. 

“At least finish out the term.” Donna replied. “With the discussion to be picked back up after the election.” 

Donna wasn’t really inclined to leave her job, and was surprised when Josh didn’t seem to mind that she wanted to stay at the White House. She, admittedly, was stunned when he told her that he planned to leave the White House. He’d been so reluctant to engage in the conversation with her. He told her there was still things he wanted to do before the end of the term. Then this happens and he did a complete 180. Not that she was complaining; she was happy he wanted to cut down on the stress in his life, and equally happy the secret service wouldn’t always be around anymore; happy that they could take a vacation without getting approval from the Treasury Department; happy they could go through a day without him getting called every hour; happy he wouldn’t be stuck working all night at a moment’s notice. 

Happy he was going to get to see his daughter grow up, and be there for everything that happened in her life that Ella was going to think important he be there for. 

She was sure that eventually, he’d be sucked into something a little more low key, like consultant work, sitting on a board of something, or the lecture circuit. This was Josh after all. Slowing it down and taking it easy, was only going to completely last so long. But she planned to enjoy it while it lasted. 

TBC


	11. 6 Minutes of Celebration Part Trois

“Where are we going today, daddy?” Ella asked Josh as she scrambled up into her booster seat in her nightgown at the kitchen table to eat her cereal. 

“Grandma is going to take you to story hour.” Josh replied looking at the cookbook in front of him on the counter. 

“Are you going to the store?” she asked. 

“Yup.” Josh answered studying the recipe before him. “I’m going to make what’s in this picture for dinner. Doesn’t that look good?” He slid the book over to Ella and she pretended to study it as he did. 

“It’s pasgetti.” she said. 

“Well, there’s pasta in it.” Josh said. “But it’s not just plain old spaghetti.” 

“Mommy told you not to make dinner because you blowed up the kitchen.” 

“I didn’t blow up the kitchen.” Josh defended. “She’s afraid I’m going to blow up the kitchen. And I’m not.” 

“How do you know?” 

“Because I ran country, I can make dinner.” Josh scoffed. “Plus, I’ve been spending time with my new friend Michael Chiorello.” 

“Uncle Mike is teaching you how to cook?” she asked him scrunching up her face. 

“No, a different Mike. Uncle Mike is in Arkansas.” 

“Why?” 

“I have no idea.” 

“I thought it was your job to know.” 

“It’s not anymore.” Josh explained. “Remember how I told you the other day that daddy was going to stay home with you now like Grandma did?” 

“When you brought me those new princesses and mommy got mad?” 

“Yeah, then.” 

“You said you were going to be in charge now.” 

“Well, that’s what I thought, too. I’m not sure it worked out that way.” 

“What are you going to buy at the store?” 

“A bunch of stuff.” Josh replied. “Pasta, vegetables, pesto, and some stuff I’ve never even heard of and is going to take me forever to find.” 

“What are begtables?” 

“Broccoli, carrots, that stuff.” 

“The stuff mommy likes.” Ella said scrunching up her face again. 

“Vegetables are good for you.” 

“When you go to the store, will you get me a little brother?” 

“What?” 

“I want a little brother. I want to name him Quentin.” 

“Quentin? Who the hell is Quentin?” 

“You’re not allowed to say that word by me, daddy.” Ella chastised. 

“You’re right.” 

“You should go in the time out corner.” 

“I’ll go in the time out corner when you’re taking your nap later. I can’t take care of you when I’m in a time out.” Josh replied. “Let’s get back to this little brother named Quentin. You don’t think we need to ask mommy first if she wants a little brother?” 

“She will love him.” 

“Yes, I’m sure she will.” 

“It will be a surprise.” 

“It certainly would.” 

“So will you get one?” 

“I’ll see if there are any there.” 

Ella went back to her cereal, and Josh laughed to himself as he studied her. He and Donna never really seriously considered any more kids. They just seemed complete with just Ella, but it never really occurred to them, or him at least, that maybe Ella didn’t feel complete. Donna was still young, and he was...well, not exactly old. The idea had some merit to it. 

“Why aren’t you going to take me to story hour today?” 

“Grandma likes taking you to story hour.” Josh explained. “So she’s going to keep taking you. It’s only one day a week. While you’re there, I’m going to go to the store.” 

“I could use a new Belle, too, daddy.” Ella said. “Mine has crayon on it. Her face is all green.” 

“Well, you’re not supposed to color on your toys. Coloring is for paper.” 

“But she needed make up. She was going to the ball.” Ella said earnestly. 

“Well, why don’t I try and get the crayon off her face?” Josh suggested. 

“I think I should just get a new one.” 

“Mommy yelled at me when I bought you that one.” 

“But you kissed her and she stopped.” 

“That doesn’t always work.” 

“Isn’t my birfday coming?” 

“No.” 

“Oh. I guess you’ll just have to buy her for me.” 

“I guess so.” 

“Thank you, daddy.” 

“Wait a minute! What just happened there?” 

“You said I could have a new Belle.” 

“No. I didn’t.” 

“Yes, you did.” 

Josh reviewed the conversation in his head. It was true. His three-year-old daughter did only what his wife was able to do, artfully get what she wanted when he was distracted. He could beat congress into submission, but his three-year-old just played him like a cheap violin. 

He’d never been more proud of her. 

“Joshua!” called his mother’s voice from the living room. 

“In here!” he called back from the kitchen. 

His mother entered the room and walked over to kiss her granddaughter. “It’s Curious George day at the library, baby girl.” she announced. 

“Daddy’s going to buy me a new Belle.” 

“Daddy’s going to get his butt chewed out by mommy.” his mother replied. 

“What’s that mean?” 

“Grandma thinks I’m going to get in trouble if I buy you Belle.” 

“Not if you kiss mommy after you tell her.” 

“You don’t think you should tell her?” 

“I can’t tell her. I’m going to be playing with Belle in my room.” 

“See how that works, mom?” Josh asked. “She’s a master.” 

“She’s certainly her father’s daughter.” 

“That’s silly, Cramma. Course I’m daddy’s daughter. Who else would I be?” 

“Who else, indeed?” Anna asked. 

“Know what would taste good in my cereal tomorrow, daddy?” 

“What, princess?” 

“Cake.” 

“Yes. I imagine cake would taste good in cereal.” 

“Will you buy cake at the store too?” 

“You’re not eating cake in your cereal tomorrow, Ella.” Josh said. 

“Mommy would let me.” Ella scoffed. 

“No she wouldn’t.” Josh and his mother said together. 

“Let’s go up and get you dressed.” Anna announced helping Ella off her chair and leading her out of the kitchen. Josh’s cell phone rang, and he smiled as he saw the caller i.d. was his wife. “Hey, baby, he said answering the phone. Guess what Ella wants from the store today...” 

THE END


End file.
